The Masque of the Red Death Study Questions
Literary Vocabulary
Copy vocabulary into your own literary glossary.
Protagonist: The central characterof a story who serves as a focus for its themes and incidents and as the principal rationale for its development. The protagonist is sometimes referred to in discussions of modern literature as the hero or anti-hero. Well-known protagonists are Hamlet in William Shakespeare's Hamlet and Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
Antagonist: The major character in a narrative or drama who works against the hero or protagonist.
Imagery: The mental pictures created by a piece of writing: “The imagery of “The Waste Land”— crumbling towers, dried-up wells, toppled tombstones — conveys the author's sense of a civilization in decay.”
Theme: The main point of a work of literature. The term is used interchangeably with thesis. The theme of William Shakespeare's Othello — jealousy — is a common one.
Tone: The author's attitude toward his or her audience may be deduced from the tone of the work. A formal tone may create distance or convey politeness, while an informal tone may encourage a friendly, intimate, or intrusive feeling in the reader. The author's attitude toward his or her subject matter may also be deduced from the tone of the words he or she uses in discussing it. The tone of John F. Kennedy's speech which included the appeal to "ask not what your country can do for you" was intended to instill feelings of camaraderie and national pride in listeners.
Study Questions
1. The "Red Death" had long devastated the country. In this sentence, devastated means______________.
2. In this story, the color red represents _______________.
3. What do you think of Prince Prospero? Think about what his name tells you, what his home tells you, and what his actions tell you.
4. Even though Prince Prospero is the Protagonist, he isn't necessarily the "good guy." Why is he still considered the protagonist?
5. Why is the "Red Death" the antagonist of the story?
6. The story opens with a description of the setting. Based on the setting description, what do you think the initial tone of this story is? Does it change as the story goes on? Give examples to support your arguments.
7. What effect did the large Ebony clock have on the guests every time it chimed? What do you think this clock symbolizes? How does it influence the tone and setting of the story? Use a direct quote from the text.
8. What is the significance of each of the colors in the rooms of Prospero's castle? What do you make of the black room with the bright red windows? Why did the party-goers tend to avoid this room?
9. Once the disease, Red Death, was contracted, a person lived for _____________________.
10. Poe goes to great lengths to carefully describe the horrifying figure that interrupts the party. Which of Poe's descriptions do you think are most vivid and why? What do you think this man represents for the partiers? Use examples.
11. Why was Prince Prospero angry with the masked figure?
12. Why did Prince Prospero decide to confront the masked figure?
13. What is the theme of the story? What do you think is Poe's ultimate message for this story (both historically and personally)? Draw on quotes from the text and what you know about Poe's life to answer this question.
Copy vocabulary into your own literary glossary.
Protagonist: The central characterof a story who serves as a focus for its themes and incidents and as the principal rationale for its development. The protagonist is sometimes referred to in discussions of modern literature as the hero or anti-hero. Well-known protagonists are Hamlet in William Shakespeare's Hamlet and Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
Antagonist: The major character in a narrative or drama who works against the hero or protagonist.
Imagery: The mental pictures created by a piece of writing: “The imagery of “The Waste Land”— crumbling towers, dried-up wells, toppled tombstones — conveys the author's sense of a civilization in decay.”
Theme: The main point of a work of literature. The term is used interchangeably with thesis. The theme of William Shakespeare's Othello — jealousy — is a common one.
Tone: The author's attitude toward his or her audience may be deduced from the tone of the work. A formal tone may create distance or convey politeness, while an informal tone may encourage a friendly, intimate, or intrusive feeling in the reader. The author's attitude toward his or her subject matter may also be deduced from the tone of the words he or she uses in discussing it. The tone of John F. Kennedy's speech which included the appeal to "ask not what your country can do for you" was intended to instill feelings of camaraderie and national pride in listeners.
Study Questions
1. The "Red Death" had long devastated the country. In this sentence, devastated means______________.
2. In this story, the color red represents _______________.
3. What do you think of Prince Prospero? Think about what his name tells you, what his home tells you, and what his actions tell you.
4. Even though Prince Prospero is the Protagonist, he isn't necessarily the "good guy." Why is he still considered the protagonist?
5. Why is the "Red Death" the antagonist of the story?
6. The story opens with a description of the setting. Based on the setting description, what do you think the initial tone of this story is? Does it change as the story goes on? Give examples to support your arguments.
7. What effect did the large Ebony clock have on the guests every time it chimed? What do you think this clock symbolizes? How does it influence the tone and setting of the story? Use a direct quote from the text.
8. What is the significance of each of the colors in the rooms of Prospero's castle? What do you make of the black room with the bright red windows? Why did the party-goers tend to avoid this room?
9. Once the disease, Red Death, was contracted, a person lived for _____________________.
10. Poe goes to great lengths to carefully describe the horrifying figure that interrupts the party. Which of Poe's descriptions do you think are most vivid and why? What do you think this man represents for the partiers? Use examples.
11. Why was Prince Prospero angry with the masked figure?
12. Why did Prince Prospero decide to confront the masked figure?
13. What is the theme of the story? What do you think is Poe's ultimate message for this story (both historically and personally)? Draw on quotes from the text and what you know about Poe's life to answer this question.